Coal-breaker.



PATENTE!) AFR. 26, 1904.

B. S. DECKER. GGAL BREAKER.

APPLIGArIoN :FILED 11113.10, 1902.

" s sums-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

@M Ww-aga PATENrBD APB..- 26, 1904.

nunmal-SHEET -2.

E. S. DECKER.

GOAL BREAKER. APPLIoATIoN FILED MAB. 10, 1902.

No MODEL.

UNrrnn STATES Patented April 26, 1904.

PATENT. OFFICE.

EDIVIN S. DECKER, OE MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO STEEL CABLE ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, Av

CORPORATION OF MAINE.

GOAL-BREAKER.

SPECIFICATION forming-part of LettersY Patent No. 758,302, dated April 26, 1904.

Application filed March 10, 1902. Serial No. 97,459.` (No model.)

To LZ/ wwnt it muy concern,.-

, Be it knownl that I, EDWIN S. DECKER, a sub'- ject of the Kingof Great Britain, and a resident of Malden, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have in vented an Improvement in Coal-Breakers, of which the, following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to coal-breakers, and hasfor its object to provide a novel, form of mechanism for breaking or disintegrating coa The mechanism now commonly employed for breaking up or disintegrating bituminous coal comprises one or more pairs of rollers between which the pieces of coal to be disintegrated are passed. This mechanism, however, has been found to have some disadvantages, and it is for the purpose of curingVv these and for providing a coal-breaker that is capable of an increased output that I have f made my present invention.

My novel coal-breaker comprises a barrel or mortar portion which is open at each end and in which is supported a rotary breaker. The breaker and mortar or barrel are so constructed as to form an annular space between them which is largest at the receiving end of the barrel and diminishes in cross-sectional area toward the discharge end thereof.

One of the important features of my pres-v ent invention resides in providing mechanism whereby the degree of dneness to which `the coal may be broken. or disintegrated may be readily regulated without the necessity of removing the breaker from the mortar or barrel and substituting a new one therefor of a different size. For this purpose 'one of the parts, preferably the mortar or barrel, 'is constructed to removably support at its lower portion and in opposition to the lower end of the breaker an interchangeable series of disintegrating-teeth, the construction being such that different-sized teeth may be employed,

according to the degree of fineness to which it is desired to crush or break the coal or other material.

I haveV also provided my barrel with a removable lining, whereby as the lining becomes worn it may be readily removed and replaced by a new lining, thusy increasing the length of life of the device.

Other novel features of my invention will be hereinafter described,and pointed outin the claims.

Figure I is a view of the apparatus, partly in plan and partly in section, the section being taken on the line af a', Fig. 2.' Fig. 2 is an elevation of the apparatus, a portion thereof being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a section on line e, Fig. 2. Fig. i is a section on line y y, Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a section through i one side of the mortar. Fig. 6 shows different -views of one of the wear-plates. Fig. 7 shows the closure-plate. Fig. 8 shows my preferred way of connecting the driving-pulley toits shaft, .and'Fig 9 shows two teeth from different sets. y

The mortar or barrel of the coal-breaker is designated generally by 3, and, as illustrated, it is open at both ends thereof, the upper end being the receiving end into which the coal or other material to be disintegrated is deposited, the lower end thereof being the discharging end. Forcouvenience I have constructed the barrel 3 with the base portion' 4, adapted to beisupported in any suitable way and having its central part open and bridged over by a suitable spider 6, andthe hopper portion 5, Vwhich is detachably secured to the base portion and which, as illustrated, has iiaringwalls. Theupper portion of the hop-v per carries a spider 8, in which is journaled in any suitable way one end of a shaft 7, carrying the breaker, presently to be described, the other or lower end of said shaft being mounted in suitable bearings in the spider 6. The base portion 4 has a plurality-four in this embodiment of my invention-of vertically-extending wings or holding-anges l0, the upper ends of which are received in suitable grooves on the exterior of the hopper portion 5, said grooves being conveniently ,formed by means of two parallel ribs l1, cast base and hopper portions of the mortar also have registering ears 12 projecting therefrom which are bolted together, the said ears and the wings 1() serving to detachably secure the two parts of the mortar tog'ether. I will preferably construct the hopper portion 5 of the barrel in three sections a, b, and c., respectively, the said sections being secured together by means of bolts passed through ribs 44 thereon. I prefer to thus make my hopper portion 5 in sections and to make the hopper portions separate from the base portion 4 in order to facilitate the shipment of the completed device.

The breaker that I preferably employ comprises a series of'diferently-shaped nuts or disks 19, (see Fig. 1,) which are fitted upon the polygonal-shaped portion 20 of the shaft 7 and which, therefore, must of necessity rotate with the shaft, `the said nuts being of different sizes and of progressively-increased diameter from the upper nut or disk to the lower one, 19a. rI`hese breaking nuts or disks have their periphery serrated in different ways to form teeth of different sizes and shapes, which teeth during the rotation of the breaker operate, in conjunction with the inner face of the barrel, to break up and disintegrate the material, as will be obvious. The weight of the shaft 7 and the breaker thereon is carried by a step-bearing'14, the said shaft beingprovided with' a collar 14 for resting upon the said bearing and antifriction-rolls preferably being employed to reduce friction. Fast to the shaft at its lower end and between the breaker and the spider 6 is a bevel gear-wheel 15, which` structed, and when such is the case I will locate the driving-gear for the breaker beneath the same, as shown in the drawings. My invention, however, would not be departed from if the driving mechanism were at the upper i end of the shaft 7 instead of at the lower end thereof, and for some kinds of work this construction may be preferable. The inner face of the hopper portion 5 of the barrel is provided with a series of knobs or journals which coperate with the breaker in the disintegration of the material, and the final disintegration is accomplished by means ,of the lower disk or breaker-nut 19 and a series of disintegrating-teeth 50, projecting from the operative face of the hopper.

It will be obvious that the degree of fineness to which the coal or other material will be disintegrated depends upon the distance between the periphery of the breaking-nut 19,L and the disintegrating-teeth 50, and it is one of the important features of my present invention to provide means whereby this distance may be regulated or changed, as desired. The required regulation or variation in this distance may be accomplished by changing the breaking-nuts for nuts of vlarger or smaller sizes; butas this entails considerable labor I will preferably accomplish this regulation by providing means whereby the disintegratingteeth may be removably carried by the mortar and by providing mechanism whereby any set of teeth may be easily and quickly removed andtheir place taken by a set of longer or shorter teeth, according as to whether it is desired to disintegrate the material to a greater or less extent. To thus removably support the disintegrating-teeth 50, I have vprovided the hopper portion l5 with the annular groove 52 of the shape shown in Fig. 5, and in which groove the teeth 50 are supported, each toot-h having its outer end provided Ywith a lip or projection 51 to [it the shape of the groove. This lip or projection 51 serves to lock the tooth into the groove, and in order to insert the teeth in the first instance I will preferablyA provide an opening or keyway 53 through the side of the hopper of a size suflicient to receive the teeth 50 and through whichthe individual teeth will be inserted until the lip portion 51 comes into register with the groove 52. when the said teeth will be moved sidewise into the groove. After all of the teeth have been thus inserted into the groove akey-tooth 55, Figgl, which is longer than the other teeth, will be inserted through the keyway, the end of the longer key-tooth partially projecting into the keyway and being held in place by a cap-plate 56, which is secured to the hopper in any suitable way, as by screws 57. The object in making the keytooth longer than the other teeth is to lock the teeth against sidewise movement in the groove during the operation of the breaker, for it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that as the breaker is rotated the tendency will be to give to the teeth 51 a movement around the barrel in the same direction as the rotation of the breaker. It will now be apparent that if for any reason Iit is desired to disintegrate the material to a greater or less degree the disintegrating-teeth 50 may be readily removed by removing the key-tooth 55 and their place taken by longer or shorter teeth, according as to whether the annular space between the ends of the teeth and the breaking-nut 19a is to be reduced or increased in width.

Fig. 9 shows the relative length of the teeth of two different sets. It will be understood that any number of sets of different lengths may be provided for use at different times in a single breaker. I will preferably construct a key-opening 53'in`each one of the sections (ab, and c of the hopper 5 and will therefore have three key-teeth 55, this construction being preferable because it facilitates the inser- IOO IlO

interchangeability of the series permitting.

longer or shorter teeth to be employed, as desired. j Y

Another feature of my invention resides in providing aremovable lining for the barrel, whereby as the lining becomes Worn its place may be taken by a new lining. ient way of constructing the removable lining and of detachably securing the same in placeV is illustrated in the drawings. The hopper portion 5 is provided with an annular Wearplate-receiving recess 22, in Wh ich are adapted i to be placed a plurality of Wear-plates of the constructionshown in Fig. 6. I have herein illustrated each Wear-plate as having a curved inner face 23, from Which project one or more projections 2a, and a straight or plain back face 25. Referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that thevbottom of the recess 22 is made up of `a number of straight sides 26, thus forming,

in effect, a polygon, eac-h side 26 beingof the same size as the back face 25 of therv correspending Wear-plate. The side edges 28 of each wear-plate are preferably substantially radial to the curved inner face 23, and lby reason of this construction it will he apparent from Fig. 3 that after the series of Wear-plates .are inserted into the recess22 they form a sort of arch construction, and each Wear-plate is locked or held inA position by the adjacent Wear-plates. The object in making the back of the Wear-plates With a plane surface so as to form a Wear-plate-receiving recess having a polygonal sh'ape is to lock the wear-plates against sliding around in the recess in the direction of rotation of the breaker, as they would tend to do if the recess Were circular. III-.order to insert or remove the Wearplates, I have provided the upper flaring portion 30 of the hopper With an introduction-passage 31, openingV into said recess, said passage being of a Width sufficient to receive one of the wear-plates,

and in practice this introduction-passage will be positioned directly over the place in which the last Wear-plate is to be inserted. In order to insert thev Wear-plates,therefore., it is simply necessary to place the individual Wear-- plates in their position until all of the Wearplates have been inserted into the recess 22 with the exception of the Wear-plate directly beneath .the introduction-passage 31, when the last Wear-plate may be inserted vertically into its place through the said introductionpassage. The arch construction of wear-plates serves to prevent any individual Wear-plate One convenfrom becoming dislodged, and in order to hold the last Wear-plate inposition a'closure-plate 40 (shown in Fig. 7) is inserted in the introduction-passage 31 and secured to the hopper in' any suitable way, as by means of bolts. For convenience I will preferably provide each section u, and c of the hopper with an introduction-passage 31 and a closure-plate 40, so that if itis desired to remove any Wearplate in any one section it is simply necessary to lirst remove the closure-plate 40 from said section and then the Wear-plate immediately under said closure-plate, when the othervvearplates of the section may beV easily taken out.v

After receiving its iinal disintegration between the disk 19E and the teeth 50 the material drops through the open bottom of the barrel, as will be obvious, and in order lto prevent it from dropping onto the shaft 17 or onto the gears 15 and 16 to clog the same a shield or cover is employed which rests on the Wall or vertical flange 61, rising from the arms of the spider 6, said flange surrounding the gear 15 and having parallel substantially 4radial portions 62, which inclose the shaft 17,

as seen in Fig. 1. The shield or cover 6() is substantially circular, but has an extension 63 of a shape to rest on the parallel portions 62 of the iange 61 and to cover the shaft 17, the central portion of the cover having an aperture to receive a hub 65 on the lower disk 19.

It Will thus be seen that both the shaft 17 and the gears 15 and 16 are fully protected, and it Will therefore be impossible for any of the coal to get onto and clog the teeth of the gears.

I would remark that the material after being .pulverized drops through the skeleton bottom or base portion et outside of the vertical flange or Wall 61.

It sometimes happens that a lump of some hard substance gets dropped into the breaker, and to prevent the breaking-nuts or disintegratingfteeth from being damaged by such an occurrence I have provided a connection between the driving-pulley and the shaft 17 of such a construction that when the breaker meets with undue resistance the connection will break before any damage can be done to either the breaker or the disintegrating-teeth. .One simple form of such connection is illustrated in Fig. 8, from Which it will beV seen that the Web 81 of the driving-pulley is bolted or pinned to a ange 82 on a collar fast to the shaft. .The material of which the pins or bolts 84 are made is such that they Will be sheared or stripped by the web of thepulley when the breaker is subjected to undue resistance, though und er ordinary circumstances they will be sufficient to drive the breaker.

From the above itfWill be seen that my invention comprises, broadly, a coal-breaker in -Which the degree offineness to which the coal is broken is determined by providing an interchangeable set. of' disintegrating -teeth, whereby longer or shorter teeth may be em- IOC' ployed, as required. It will therefore be obvious that the details 'of the construction may be varied in many ways without departing fromv the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a coal-breaker, an open-bottomed barrel, a rotary breaker thereinand a set of disintegrating-teeth carried by one of said parts at the discharge end of the breaker, said set being one oi' a plurality of interchangeable sets, and the teeth of each set having a different length from the teeth of the other sets, whereby by using different sets of teeth the degree of. neness to which the coal is broken may be varied.

2. In a coal-breaker, an open-ended barrel, a rotary breaker therein, means to hold the barrel and breaker against relative movement in an axial direction, and a set of disintegrating-teeth removably carried by one of said parts at the discharge end of the breaker, said set being one of a plurality of interchangeable sets and the teeth of each set having a different length from those of the other sets,whereby by using different sets of teeth the degree of iineness to which the coal is broken may be varied.

3. In a coal-breaker, an open-bottomed barrel, arotary breaker therein, and aset of disintegrating-teeth carried by the barrel opposite the lower end of the breaker, said set being one of a plurality of interchangeable sets, the teeth of each of said sets having a different length from those of the other sets, whereby by employing different sets of teeth the degree of fineness ot' the disintegration may be regulated.

4C. In a coal-breaker, an open-bottomed barrel, a rotary breaker therein having a general conical shape, and aset of disintegrating-teeth projecting from' the inner face of the barrel at its lower end and coperating with the base of the breaker, said set being one of a plurality of interchangeable sets, and the teeth of each set having a different length from those oi" the other sets.

5. In a coal-breaker, an open-ended barrel, a rotary breaker therein, said barrel having at its discharge end an annular groove in its inner face and a set of disintegrating-teeth removably sustained in said groove, said set being one of a plurality of interchangeable sets, and the teeth of each set havinga diiierentlength from those of the other sets, whereby by employing different sets of teeth the degree of fineness of the disintegration may be regulated.

6. In a coal-breaker, a barrel, a rotary breaker-therein, an annular lgroove in the interior of the barrel, a plurality of separate,

disintegrating-teeth sustained in said groove, a keyway leading to 1sald groove and through which said teeth are inserted, and a key-tooth in said keyway.

7. In a coal-breaker, a sectional barrel open at both ends, a rotary breaker in said barrel, said Abarrel having an internal annular groove opposite the base of the breaker, a series of disintegrating-teeth removably supported in said groove, and a keyway extending through each section of the barrel and leading to the grooves, through which said teeth may be inserted. Y

8. vIn a coal-breaker, a sectional barrel open at both ends, a rotary breaker in said barrel, said barrel having an internal annular groove opposite the base of the breaker, a series of disintegrating-teeth removably supported in said groove, a keyway extending through each section of the barrel and leading to the grooves, through which said teeth may be inserted. one of said teeth being longer than the other and projecting into the keyway.

9. In a coal-breaker, an open-ended barrel, a rotary breaker therein, said barrel having an annular groove opposite the base of the breaker, `a plurality of disintegrating-teeth removably supported in said groove, one of said teeth having an interlocking engagement with the barrel whereby said teeth are held against sidewise movement in the groove.

l0. In a coal-breaker, a barrel having an annular Wear-plate-receiving recess, wear-plates in said recess, an introduction-passage opening into the recess and through which the last. weary-'plate is inserted, and a closure-plate detachably secured in the introd notion-passage.

11. In a coal-breaker, a barrel having an annular wear-plate-receiving recess in its inner face, and an'introduction-passage opening into the recess, a plurality of wear-plates coniined in said recess and forming the operative surface of the barrel, and a closure-plate detachably secured in the introduction-passage, the walls of the recess and the backs of the wearplates having' such a shape that when said plates are in mutual side contact they are prevented from moving sidewise in the groove.

12. In a coal-breaker, a barrel having a recess with polygonal walls, a plurality of wearplates in said recess, each wear-plate having a fiat back face to t one of the iat sides of the recess, an introduction-passage opening into the recess and through which the last Wear-plate is inserted, and a closure-plate detachably secured in the introduction-passage.

13. In a coal-breaker, a barrel comprising a base portion having vertical flanges, and a Sectional hopper portion having ribs on each IOO IIO

section thereof interlocking with the iianges on ISO ing an end discharge, a shaft in said sheli, a breaker on the shaft, a gear-Wheel also on the shaft and situated between the breaker and above the discharge-opening, and a stationary circular shield between the breaker and gear to cover the gear, said shield .being situated wheel on the shaft below the breaker and above the spider, and a stationary circular shield covering the top of the gear and having depending ianges to inclose the' sides of the gear, said Hanges forming between them and the innerY wall of the casing an annular space through which the material is discharged.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

H EDWIN S. DECKER. Vitnesses:

Lon'is C. SMITH, JOHN C. EDWARDS. 

